Three hours after the York Fair opened on Saturday, the 54-foot-tall roller coaster, Mine Bender, was given the green light by state inspectors to open to fairgoers.

In addition, a free fall ride operated by US AIRBAG reopened Saturday afternoon. The attraction was open to patrons for a short time Friday before state inspectors ordered it to close because it needed fencing on the top platform.

Gene Schenck, fair president, said state inspectors had been on site during the morning and early afternoon Saturday, and finally cleared Mine Bender to open around 2 p.m.

The fencing for the free fall attraction had ben addressed as of Saturday morning, Schenck said. It opened about 3 p.m.

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That was great news for Schenck and Deggeller Attractions, the ride's owner, but it didn't make up for lost business Friday and for the first part of the day Saturday.

Fair attendance Friday was 51,524, Schenck said.

"That's a few hundred over (opening day) last year, and last year was the best opening day we ever had," Schenck said. He noted that the weather this year - less humid than last year - was more favorable.

"It was a perfect opening day," he said before adding, "the only negative was the ride inspection thing."

James B. Ingram Jr., a spokesman for Deggeller Attractions, referred questions to Schenck.

Schenck said he couldn't put a price on the lost business for both Mine Bender and the free fall attraction, but he called it "a substantial loss."

"This is really punitive to them and these are just small business people," Schenck said.

He noted the fair changed to a 10-day schedule a few years back because Saturday and Sunday are "so spectacular for carnival rides. To have a major attraction closed on a Saturday is painful and punitive."

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